I've been having some real trouble with my holdfasts lately. I got one from a blacksmith, but it just wouldn't hold. I tried various fixes like scuffing both the holdfast and the dog holes, but no luck. I then bought some from Gramercy Tools, and I'm facing the same issue. My workbench is 3 inches thick, and I'm starting to think it might be the design. Has anyone else experienced this, and do you have any tips or solutions?
3 Answers
I struggled with the Gramercy holdfasts too. What worked for me was drilling out the holes from below with a larger bit to effectively reduce thickness, and definitely scuff the holdfasts around the circumference—not up and down. It worked wonders! One thing to check is if the holes are vertical; if they aren't, that could be why your holdfast is slipping.
Oh, scuffing made all the difference for me! Just doing it around the stem helped to grip way better—no more slipping.
You might want to share more details for better suggestions. My benches vary in thickness—one's about 2.5" thick and the others are even thinner. I’ve had standard holdfasts work fine, but if your bench is thicker, you might need bigger ones. Also, how are the holes drilled? Are they straight? Loose fit? All these could affect the hold.
Great points! I think I also read somewhere that chamfering the hole from underneath can help with thicker tops, so maybe look into that.
Honestly, your bench might be too thick for standard holdfasts. Mine's about 1.5" thick, and I’ve had no issues. Consider looking for larger holdfasts or possibly modifying your setup.
Yeah, I read that Gramercy suggests chamfering the holes for thicker tops—might be worth trying if you haven't already.
Totally agree! I did the same thing, using a dowel to drill wider from underneath. Once I did that, it holds like a champ!